AGI-ROME

Monday, January 18, 2016

Food Security and the Refugee Crisis

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

By Virginia Turner

I would like to briefly address food security and the
refugee crisis. Along the topic of collaborations with IGO’s, The United
Nations World Food Programme, (UNWFP, or WFP) is a major Intergovernmental Organization, (IGO), which
frequently partners with multiple organizations to address the food and
nutrition needs of vulnerable people including refugees. To be clear the UNWFP
is an IGO and not a nongovernmental organization. The NGO label came about as a
way of distinguishing NGO’s from IGO’s( such as the United Nations) since a
main distinction for NGO’s is that they are nongovernmental and also
nonprofits.

WFP was selected due to my enduring interest in food
delivery systems and nutrition assessment in connection with vulnerable people.
WFP is the primary United Nations IGO dealing with food, thus, no surprise that
they align themselves with the U.N. Zero
Hunger Challenge (a.k.a.Strategic
Goal #2). I would be remiss if I did not mention that with even the limited
research that I was able to accomplish concerning WFP, the words of our recent esteemed
speaker, Ms. Laura Cantarini, (UNHCR lecture dated 1/15/16, Hotel Atlantico,
Rome, Italy), are with me now as I feel I have gained a more nuanced
appreciation of the extremely complex issues and challenges, both at a
grassroots level and at the higher policy levels, vis-à-vis ‘humanitarian aid
work’ at the NGO or IGO international levels. I realize that my initial assumptions
surrounding “food delivery systems for refugees” were naïve and unrealistic. We
are not talking about planes dropping food, or trucks being driven exactly
where they wish to go with no problems. Rather, it is a complex and intricate
food assessment and delivery system with numerous and layered variables. Plus,
to add to the challenge – on an international playing field - any variable may change
and completely change impact or outcomes.

People on the Move: There will always be refugees as long as there is
conflict, persecution of others, and great disparities in access to
opportunities and wealth in this world. People will find ways to move to
geographical areas where they discern there could be a better life for themselves
and their families and, in the case of asylum where they feel safe. Who among
us would not? The more recent influx of
refugees has placed incredible strains on the economies of host countries, and
of course the infrastructures on food provision IGO’s such as UNWFP, is part of
that stressed system, part of that equation. And yes, we can access UNWFP’s
website and read about their food programs for it is
necessary that we know these models. I propose that more may be learned from the
failure of current
models, especially when the current systems are stretched beyond their capacity
as is currently happening, according to
UNWFP and other sources such as FAO, 2015. Learn more:

“At the end of 2014 the World Food Program
announced that a crippling funding shortage had forced it to halt provision of
food vouchers to Syrian refugees in several Middle Eastern states. The United
Nations organization warned that the move would “endanger the health and safety
of these refugees and [potentially] cause further tensions, instability and
insecurity in the neighboring host countries. So it proved, and cutbacks to the
World Food Program and other aid organizations continued last year, depriving
hundreds of thousands of refugees of assistance in poor host countries where
they have few, if any, opportunities to find work.”

Funding Strategies: According to their website, the WFP relies on
voluntary contributions to finance its humanitarian and development projects.
Since WFP has no independent source of funds, all donations either in cash or
in-kind must be accompanied by the cash needed to move, manage and monitor WFP
food assistance. WFP's fundingcomes from
Governments, Corporations, and Individuals and is on anentirely voluntary basis according to theirwebsite.Governments are WFP’s principle source of
funding and they note that they “receive no dues or portions of the UN assessed
contributions.” They assert that the WFP
receives government support from “over 60 governments.” The WFP also discusses
a ‘corporate-giving program’ but this program is not described in any serious detail
at least not on their website.

Bigger
Picture: Even
if one is not an International Humanitarian Aid staff person we know and
understand the importance of longer term strategies such as improving
conditions in the country of residence whenever possible. Yet we have also learned, as in the case of conflict
(war), there are so many factors which are out of the hands of the service
providers. Remember these are service
providers who are (supposedly) adhering to ethical codes of neutrality and
impartiality not only for their own protections, but to gain access to those
needing the services and to protect their lives. In this context, we see the
‘reacting to emergencies’ assistance paradigm played out over and over. The
recent vulnerability of providing food (and other resources) to refugees has
been described as a donor weakness by UNWFP (certain Country donors did not
come through), however, this response appears superficial and actually leaves,
in my view, numerous unanswered questions. Indeed, if I were the donor
representative for a Country I might as for more details as would other
stakeholders (partners?). In my view, the UNWFP should implement an evaluation
of what happened vis-à-vis the recent food shortages and be as transparent as
possible to all stakeholders, and further, provide future strategies to address
funding shortfalls which negatively impact food delivery systems.

In referencing IGO’s and food delivery systems related to refugees in
particular, we need to be mindful that refugees are restricted in their
physical movements for a variety of reasons such as their documentation and
Country of Origin status. This week we learned that, in the majority of cases, refugees
have fled their Country of origin with minimal documentation or material items,
thus, upon arrival to a host Country, they have very few resources. Obviously
refugees are vulnerable to those wishing to exploit their desperate
circumstances. The take away here is that food delivery systems can never reach
100% (too many variables) but it can and should be improved. I do agree with
the Jesuit Refugee Services’ recommendation of calling for other funding
sources and models to be explored to ameliorate the
numerous vulnerabilities in the food chain systems, or the direct quote from JRS:

“Reforms should be sought in the present system of funding food needs,
so that the ongoing needs of refugees and other vulnerable populations are not
neglected due to competing demands from new food emergencies.”

In
closing, merely studying food security challenges surrounding refugees and
UNWFP has opened my eyes not only to the many complexities surrounding this
topic, but to the myriad of things that I take for granted in my life such as
clean water, nutritious food, and a home where I feel safe and secure. My assumptions about my life were further
emphasized when listening to the story of “Jerry” (not his real name) the
refugee who spoke to us about how he became a refugee and eventually obtained asylum
in Italy. But “Jerry” is separated from
his family and still feels that he cannot return to his Country safely. As I am
reminded about my privilege in this global world, I know that as I continue my studies
concerning NGO’s, IGO’s and other entities in the nonprofit sector I will build
upon all that I have learned in the AGI-Rome program whether addressing food
security issues or other challenges.